Use of wireless communications devices such as mobile phones and wireless personal digital assistants (PDAs) has become prevalent for both business and personal purposes. However, operation of such wireless devices is restricted in some environments, either by official policy or by social convention. Use of wireless communications devices on aircraft during flight, for example, is prohibited by federal regulation. In addition, most courtrooms and other official government offices or hearing chambers require wireless communications devices to be turned off or set to an “inaudible” mode in which no audible ring tones or the like are generated by the wireless communications devices.
Even in situations when operation of wireless communications devices is not formally or officially proscribed or regulated, users or enterprises may wish to automatically customize or control operation of wireless communications devices in selected environments. Within a conference room, for instance, a user or enterprise may wish to automatically set all wireless communications devices to inaudible mode (including a silent “vibrate” mode, if available), and/or route all incoming calls or messages to voicemail or other temporary storage. As another example, a user may wish the wireless communications device to automatically switch to a “handsfree” mode when the user enters the user's automobile.
In other situations, security within a building may wish to transmit a material pass number to a wireless device when the user enters the building, to verify that the wireless communications device should be permitted to leave the building later. Alternatively, the user may wish to automatically obtain useful information when entering a building, such as a building map, schedule of events, public printer queue names, and the like, which may be automatically downloaded to the wireless communications device for ready access.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for automatic customization of the operation of wireless communications devices within small size geographic regions.